Doro PhoneEasy 341gsm Review

Pros: If you are visually impaired or hard of hearing, this phone offers a good user experience

Cons: While we appreciate that it was never supposed to be bursting with features, it’s a shame the phone lacks the calendar and torch that its predecessors boasted.

Verdict: Features have been kept to a bare minimum on this Doro device, but it’s hard to find a phone that’s easier to use.

Full Review

Specifications

Full Review

When it comes to back-to-basics, no-frill phones, Doro is the expert. Initially its handsets were aimed at the older generation, but in recent times, Doro has tried to expand its target audience by suggesting that its phones are suitable for anyone who wants a basic handset that they can use to make phone calls and send the odd text from. We have to bear this in mind when we’re reviewing handsets of this type, which is why the Doro phone gets a well-deserved four stars. This latest incarnation has even fewer features than its predecessors, but can it still appeal to those looking for a minimalist phone?

First impressions

What we liked about the Doro 332gsm was its retro feel. The 341gsm, meanwhile, looks better than some of its predecessors – which tended to look rather like TV remote controls. However, it doesn’t offer the solidity of the 332gsm – but instead feels a bit brittle and plasticky. The keys have also shrunk in size and the numeric keys are square, with a little space between them. However, they should still be sizeable enough to avoid too many accidental mistakes. The most obvious difference between the two devices is the fact that the 341gsm has no speed dial buttons. Never fear though, there is a way to speed dial – you can hold down any of the numeric keys and assign a phone number to them, or you can set it up in the settings menu. Mind you, you will need to remember which contact you have assigned to which key!

Screen test

The screen is a dinky 27x37mm, but we found text big enough for even visually impaired users to be able to read it. Mind you, it seems odd that there is no text magnifying facility, which has been a feature of previous Doro devices. The LCD screen offers a white background, while text is mostly black, with some shades of grey. It works on a visual level and in the interest of preserving battery life, you are even able to decide how long you want the backlight to stay on for (15 or 30 seconds). Mind you, as there are so few features, you don’t really need to worry about draining the battery. There’s no torch on this incarnation, which is a shame, and nor is there a calendar function. But, you will find an alarm, SMS and a calculator – you can remove these from the menu if you wish, using the block facility.

One major feature of Doro phones is the ‘emergency’ button. In the past this has been bright red, but now it has been designed to be altogether more subtle (it’s black) and Doro doesn’t like to call it an emergency button in case it appears in any way negative. Whatever you want to call it, it allows you to call a pre-set number or numbers, and a text. An alarm will also go off to alert anyone in the vicinity.

The verdict

The Doro PhoneEasy 341gsm is a basic handset that offers good functions for anyone who wants a basic phone, but especially the elderly, hard of hearing or visually impaired. If you’re a keen early adopter of feature-packed phones, it’s not for you. But when it comes down to it, we favour its older sibling the 332gsm, with its more appealing design, torch and calendar function.